Figs! Figs! Figs! Figs are on my mind! My parents have a gorgeous Mission fig tree in their yard, and every September when it’s full of fruit, it inspires many new recipes. (The rest of the year, their very cute German Shepherd likes to try to climb it with my two boys! Really.)

Making a glaze with balsamic vinegar is extremely easy and well worth the fifteen minute time commitment.

I usually leave an area of the pizza without it for my boys, as it’s a bit strong for them. My four-year especially likes this pizza!

Figs, balsamic vinegar, and basil are a lovely flavor combination, and are also quite beautiful together!

Ingredients

Preparation

Serves 8

To make the balsamic glaze: bring the vinegar to a boil in a small sauce pan over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about fifteen to twenty minutes.

Bake the pizza crust according to the recipe, then spread a thin, even layer of the pesto over the top, followed by the cheese. Bake until the cheese is completely melted and just beginning to turn golden. Once it’s out of the oven, top it with the fig slices and drizzle them with the balsamic glaze.

Some additional notes:

We love the Thin, Crispy Buckwheat Pizza Crust in my family. It’s gluten-free, as are my six-year old son and my husband. It’s a great combination with fruit. That said, please use your favorite pizza crust! Trader Joe’s makes a fantastic pre-made dough that will save you some time!

While I quite like my Basil Pesto recipe, you can also find a pre-made pesto in most markets.

Trader Joe’s also sells a bagged, graded mix of Gruyere and Swiss cheese.

Valentina's passion is food, and she loves spending time in her "kitchen retreat," as she refers to that room in her house. Valentina develops recipes for creative and comforting food that works perfectly for casual entertaining. Both her recipes and food photography have been featured many times on popular food websites and in print. Valentina shares her beautiful photographs as well as new and interesting recipes almost daily on her blog, Cooking on the Weekends.

Outside the worlds of food and photography, Valentina's other passion is her family (including her two young boys, her husband and her puppy, Maple.)

To learn more about Valentina and where her work has been featured, visit her About page at Cooking On The Weekends.